


What Goes Around Comes Back Around

by PharaohGirl



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, Heba's a thing, High School, M/M, Murder, Out of Character, Possible Character Death, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25407409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PharaohGirl/pseuds/PharaohGirl
Summary: Atem's the typical goody-two-shoes in his second year at Domino High School. He's got a best friend, Mana, and an older brother, Yami, who dropped out of high school. His world is perfect, straight A grades, captain of two sports teams, yet he's beyond bored with his life.Enter Yugi Mutou, Domino High's resident delinquent leader who's much more than your average bad boy. He's made a name for himself through ruthless intimidation, violence, and a criminal record. And he's the perfect candidate to bring some spice in Atem's vanilla life.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. First Contact

**Author's Note:**

> This will be the first work I publish on ao3 so don't be too harsh. Other than that, enjoy~

It was getting darker sooner now as winter approached the city, so Atem was left to walk stiffly in the cold air around him. Streetlights lit his path home, but that hardly put him at ease. Even though there were people around, the colder weather has made more people choose driving home over walking, but Atem didn't have that ability to choose. 

Though his family wasn't in need of money, he still didn't want to bother his parents by asking for a car. Getting a bike would be too much of a hassle, and it wasn't like his walk home was long. However, this particular day he and Mana had decided to go to an ice cream parlor to celebrate his acing of a test in their history class today. 

It wasn't a surprise, Mana likely just wanted an excuse to get ice cream. 

The walk from the ice cream place to his house was a bit longer than just school to home, but not by much. Unfortunately, that extra bit more time was enough to get jumped. Practically snatched right off the sidewalk, rough hands dragged him squirming and grunting into an alleyway. 

It was nearly pitch black away from the soft yellow of the streetlights, that was probably what this person wanted. A gruff voice spoke next to his ear as he was held back, "If you try to scream for help, I'll slit your throat, got that?" 

A hand was on Atem's mouth while a blade was pressed to his neck, he didn't say anything. What did this man want? Hopefully not Atem dead... 

"Just do as I say, and I might not hurt you. Empty your pockets and that bag, I want everything out." Just a mugging? Mana had paid for the ice cream, Atem never brought money with him when he was going to school. And if he did, it was assuredly spent before his walk home. 

Atem was pushed further into the alleyway where he tripped and fell to the hard ground. He took off his bookbag and spoke, "I can show you it all but I'm just telling you now I don't have any money." Being compliant was likely the safest option, Atem decided. 

"I don't care about money, I want IT. And I know you have it, so get it out." It? What the hell was this guy talking about? 

"Wh-what? What's 'it'? Are you mistaking me for someone else?" Atem couldn't guess how, he had never met anyone who looked even remotely like him, besides his brother of course. At first glance, he wasn't much, but closer inspection revealrd his hair was a rather unique shape. And no one in all of Domino City, besides his friends and family, were as tan as he was. 

"Don't play dumb with me! Give me the stuff or I'll fucking waste you, kid, you hear?" The guy got closer, showing off his knife to get his point across. 

Was this how Atem was going to die? Over mistaken identity? Atem wanted to think of something to say to get this guy to realize his mistake and let him go, but trying to prove him wrong would probably make this worse. He was slow to unzip his bookbag, he hoped going slow would give the man time to realize, but that seemed like a lost cause as the man told him to hurry up. 

"Really? I told you you'd know it was me, dammit. You really got a kid mixed up in this?" Another voice entered the alleyway, making both the man and Atem look to the entrance of it. A male of short stature stood there, he looked like he belonged in junior high.

Atem squinted to see better. Blonde hair curled around cherubic cheeks while the rest of his hair stuck out in all directions with a fade from midnight black to vibrant purple. Said purple also shone in his irises, from his distance away Atem couldn't tell if they were fake or not. 

A black jacket hung around his shoulders, underneath was a simple white tank top. His jeans were ripped and sneakers scuffed up, a golden necklace hung from his neck. 

As cute as his face was, Atem could see that this man was just as dangerous as the one right in front of him. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, or the metal baseball bat he had slung over his shoulder. Atem took a wild guess and went with the latter. 

"Who the hell are you?!" The guy hissed, clearly upset at the newcomer. 

"I know I look different outside the school uniform, but come on. How could you forget this pretty face?" The stranger placed a hand to his cheek and fluttered his eyelashes, looking over at the man by Atem with half lidded eyes and a sickly sweet smile. Atem would've thought it genuine if not for his playful tone. 

"Don't play with me, do you have the goods or not?!" The smile fell away, replaced by a deep frown that didn't sit quite right on the other man's face. Something in Atem made him want to see his smile again, but his general fear and confusion about the situation finally made him stand up to possibly make an escape. "Don't you move another muscle unless you wanna choke on your own blood!" 

"Hey! Lay a finger on him and I'll break your hand." The man at the entrance of the alleyway approached the both of them. 

"Aw, what, is he one of your little friends?" The man smirked back at the other, keeping a tight grip on his blade. 

"Are you blind or just dumb? That's MY school's uniform, anyone messes with people from my territory and I mess with their face. So if you want to keep your eyes in their sockets and your teeth in your mouth, I suggest you step away from him." This guy goes to Domino High? He looks so young, and Atem had never seen him at school. 

He definitely would've remembered such features. 

"He's already seen and heard too much, I say he dies here and I don't gotta worry about being arrested." The man mused as he moved to grab Atem's arm, but a sudden crack and in a second the man was stumbling back holding his shoulder. 

Atem blinked, the other man now had his bat hanging by his side. When had he moved? 

"Goddammit, what the hell was that for?!" The man's blade had dropped from his hand. 

"You only get one warning. After that, you die." The man with the bat had lost any air of playfulness, only seriousness remained. 

Wait, die? Was Atem about to witness a murder...? 

Before he could even blink, the man with the bat had rushed forward and swung at the other guy again. This time a blow to the mugger's forearm as he tried to block the hit. The mugger yelled out in pain and stumbled back against a brick wall. How was the one with the bat moving so fast? Maybe being short was an advantage... 

"Any last words?" The mugger had slid to the ground now, glaring angrily up at the other man. 

The guy on the ground only spit in the other's face, "Yeah, it's fuck off." 

The man with the bat frowned deeply, "Enjoy hell." 

"I'll see you there." With that Atem flinched as the metal bat was brought down heavily, and continuously until it was dripping with red. Blood was spilling to the ground and when the man turned around Atem could see it stained his clothes and skin. 

"You okay?" Atem didn't register that the man's mouth was even moving, only that a dead man with a very bashed in head was sitting just feet away from him. He stared at the scene trembling until his line of vision of the corpse was interrupted. 

The anger was gone from the guy that was still alive, Atem was surprised to see worry in his eyes.

"I-I... Um, wh-what just..?" Atem stumbled over his words, afraid he might say something that would give him the same fate as the dead guy. 

"If you aren't hurt then hurry on home, don't want you getting nabbed up again." The man shook his head before turning back to the corpse. 

Atem's feet moved on their own as he started walking out of the alleyway clutching his bookbag. Only when he was again in the light did he look back, seeing the man starting to pick up the body. 

"Um, h-hey!" That got his attention, "Wh-what's your name?" 

The guy raised a brow, "Why you wanna know?"

"I... I want to know who saved me." 

"Hmm," a pause, "Yugi. Yugi Mutou. How about you? I wanna know who I saved."

"Atem Sennen."

"Atem, huh? Well, Atem, maybe we'll see each other at school. Now get going before I change my mind about letting you go." 

Atem quickly nodded before speedwalking away. His thoughts raced and shifted from 'Oh my God, I just witnessed a fucking murder' to 'Should I tell someone? Call the cops?' to even 'How can one person be so pretty??' 

He groaned and rubbed his eyes, did he really find a murderer attractive? Well, in his defense, he thought the guy was cute before he killed a person in cold blood.

Deciding he wanted to take a relaxing bath and get to bed early tonight, Atem tried to keep his mind on just getting home.


	2. Reluctance Sets In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, Mana and Mahado are siblings. Not boyfriend and girlfriend

"You okay, Atem? You don't look too good." Mana giggled in her seat next to Atem.

Atem shook his head and rubbed his eyes, "I didn't sleep much last night, had a lot on my mind..." His voice came out as exhausted mumbles, eyes flicking to the wall clock at the front of the classroom. Still another hour of this torture...

"Oh? Did you have a bad dream?" Mana tilted her head as she asked her question. 

"I wish it was just a bad dream..." Atem rested his cheek against his palm. Closing his eyes, the image of Yugi with blood all over him replaced the blackness of his eyelids. 

Mana decided not to push the issue, instead she went back to doodling in her notebook. At least, until Atem spoke again, a hushness to his voice. 

"Hey, Mana? Do you know a guy named Yugi Mutou?" 

Mana took a few seconds before she answered to think, "I can't say I do, sorry. Let me guess, he's the reason you couldn't sleep?" 

"I just... It was kind of a weird meeting. Apparently he goes to this school, but he looks so young. Maybe he's a first year?" Atem mulled over possibilities. Looking down at his textbook, the words had become blurry and distant even as he tried to focus on them.

"I don't know about any first years, at most I have some third year friends. What about this guy caught your attention anyway? Having eyes for a first year just means you'll only be together for another year or so." Mana still drew in the margins of her notebook, her legs swinging as her feet barely touched the floor. 

"I suppose that's all true..." Atem shifted his eyes to the windows. Outside there were bare trees, dying grass, and empty streets. 

For the rest of the class, Atem was quiet and as was Mana. Atem had no desire to finish the work in that moment, he'd finish it at home. Which of course meant he'd go home and copy whatever his friends put on their paper. 

Though it seemed to take forever, the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the school day. As Atem was gathering his things, he asked a question he should've asked earlier. "Do you think Mahado would know about him?" 

"Who, Yugi? I doubt it, if he's a first year then Mahado definitely doesn't know about him. At best, Yugi would have to be a third year for Mahado to have even seen him when he went here." Mana explained as she too put her stuff away. 

"That's true, that was a dumb question." Atem admitted, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder. 

"Hey, speaking of Mahado, he's waiting outside for us! I convinced him to take us to a crepe shop today." Mana beamed at him, her excitement for food rolling off her shoulders in waves.

"As long as he's paying." Atem shrugged, following his female friend as she led him out of the class and out of the school to the bronze colored car that's become more familiar to him than that of his own parents'. 

"Hey, Mahado!" Mana ran over to the taller man who leaned against the car to throw her arms around him, giggling the entire time. 

"You just saw me earlier today, Mana, why are you always acting like you haven't seen me in forever?" Mahado chuckled softly as he petted the girl's hair. 

"Cuz it always feels like forever!" Mana pouted, puffing out her cheeks. 

"Oh hush you, just get in the car. Hey, Atem, how was your day?" Mahado greeted his shorter friend as Mana pried herself off him to jump in the passenger's seat excitedly. 

"Uh, so-so, I guess. Yesterday was really weird, I'll explain in the car." Mahado shrugged and they both entered the car. 

Atem proceeded to explain to the pair the happenings of yesterday as Mahado drove away from the school, precursing everything with a disclaimer of 'Don't freak out and don't call the police.'

"Wow. That is really weird. And you said you wanted to know if I knew a guy like that?" Mahado raised a brow as he looked back at Atem via the rear mirror. 

"Well, yeah, he said his name was Yugi Mutou." Right after Atem spoke, Mahado slammed on the brakes, causing the vehicle's other passengers to lurch forward. 

"Mahado, what--" 

"Atem, that guy is nothing but trouble. You're not thinking of meeting him again or anything, are you?" 

"I mean, I-I... Why does it matter? What do you mean he's trouble?" Atem furrowed his brows in confusion and concern. 

"Yugi's basically the leader of a gang. He joined some group of delinquents late in his first year, when I was a third year, and almost immediately he terrorized anyone that got in his way. Didn't matter who, students, teachers, no one was safe from him and his little posse. Something happened in his second year though, he actually got arrested but he was tried as a minor so he was just given house arrest and probation. I guess nothing's changed since then. From what you described, it sounds like he's dealing in drugs now." Mahado explained as he returned to normal driving to the crepe place. 

"My God. What was he arrested for?" Atem asked wearily. 

"No clue, no one I knew had many details. After that, it was more his gang that did dirty work for him, as if he didn't want to involve himself." Mahado shrugged, his gaze hardening. 

"Probably to lay low after getting arrested. He sounds like a terrible person... Atem, you aren't interested in him, are you?" Mana threw a concerned stare back at him. 

"I-I didn't say all that! I was just curious about him is all..." Atem sat back against the black seats. His eyes drifted to the carpeted floor as his brain began to wonder. 

It stayed like that for Atem, his thoughts wondering even as he sat in the crepe shop with Mahado and Mana who tried to strike some semblance of a conversation with him. The attempts were ultimately in vain, Atem was too preoccupied to talk.

~~~~~

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home? It's getting pretty late." Mahado spoke to Atem from the driver's side of the car. 

Atem waved a hand dismissively from his place on the sidewalk, "I'll be fine, Mahado, don't worry about me." 

Mahado lingered on the corner there for a couple seconds more before conceding and slowly driving away, leaving Atem with many thoughts. He had so many questions, questions that could easily be answered by just seeing him one more time... Atem glanced around himself, finding that somehow he was in front of the same alley where he first met Yugi. Perhaps it was asking to be stabbed by a crackhead, but if that was what summoned Yugi he was willing to take the chance. There was something about the smaller man that sent adrenaline pumping through his veins like nothing ever had before. 

He stepped deeper into the darkness, but hesitated in remembering Mahado's words. 'Nothing but trouble...' Was that the life Atem wanted? A constant fear of being charged with conspiracy to commit whatever crime Yugi was doing versus keeping on the path he was going to be a successful, productive member of society with a clean record. To any reasonable man, such a choice never existed, the latter was too obvious. Atem drew his gaze up to stare, almost longingly, into the blackness ahead of him. The world was deathly silent, as if waiting for Atem to make his decision before it moved. 

Atem swallowed harshly. There was a desperation forming in the pit of his stomach for something different, something new and exciting, possibly even something dangerous. He shook his head fiercely and turned away, striding down the block in the direction of his home. 'Another time...' Atem thought, his morality winning the argument. For now.


End file.
